Syrian Turkmen

The Syrian Turkmen are the Turkic peoples that have inhabited Syria since the time of the Seljuks in the 11th century. Descended from the Seljuk Turks of Alp Arslan and other similar Turkic peoples (such as the Oghuz and Kipchaks), Syrian Turkmen are closely related culturally to the Turks of Turkey, Azeris, and Iraqi Turkmen, and they are also mostly Sunni Muslims like most Turks (although Azeris are mostly Shi'ite). On 15 December 2012, the Syrian Turkmen created the Syrian Turkmen Assembly to represent them during the sectarian Syrian Civil War, which saw the Syrian Arab Army and Islamic State persecute minority groups. There were anywhere in between 750,000-3,500,000 Syrian Turkmen living in the country before the civil war, and many fled as refugees.